Loom-reed cleaning and polishing machine



Janffi, 1925.

E. F. HATH\AWAY ET AL LOOM REED CLEANING AND POLISHING MACHINE Filed July 12, 1920 8 Sheets-Sheet 1 Jan. 6. 1925. E. F. HATHAWAY ET AL LOOM REED CLEANING AND .POLISHING ncrmm Filed July 12, 1920 w Q W- 2 F r 36 3M 2 Jan. 6. 1925.

E. F. HATHAWAY ET AL LOOM-REED CLEANING AND POLISHING MACHINE Filed July 12, 1920 8 Sheets-Sheet 3 gar Waite? Biwby.

Jan. 6. 1925 1,521,622 E, F. HATHAWAY ET AL LOOM REED CLEANING AND POLISHING MACHINE Filed July 12, 1920 8 Sheets-Sheet 4 8 w 3 W 0 3f) x ,2 Edgarfflaihaway, "1 Walter lhwby,

Jan. 6. 1925.

E. F. HATHAW Y'ET AL LOOM REED CLEANING AND POLISHING MACHINE Filed July 12. 1920 a Sheets-Sheet s .mmm%@ mflm, \Frk H W? EW W I a W Jan. 6. 1925- 1,521,622 E. F. HATHAWAY ET AL LOOM REED CLEANING AND POLISHING MACHINE Filed July l2, 1920 8 Sheets-Sheet 6 \1 emwxs: Edgarl'fflawway, Willie? B312: by,

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Jan. 6.1 2 1,521,622

- E. F. HATHAWAY ET AL LOOM REED CLEANING AND POLISHING MACHINE Filed July 12, 1920 8 Sheets-Sheet 7 L w aev-llimby,

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E. F. HATHAWAY ET AL LOOM REED CLEANING AND POLISHING MACHINE Filed July 12, 1920 8 Sheets-Sheet 8 Patented Jan. 6, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDGAR F. HATHAWAY AND WALTER BIXBY, 53:3 IJGRGIEIESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, AS- SIGNORS T SHAVVM'UT ENGINEERING COMPANY, OF DORCHESTER, MASSACHU- SETTS, A COR-PORA'IIGN OF LOOK-REED CLEANING- AND POLISHING MACHINE.

Application filed .Tulyifl,

To [ZZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, EDGAR F. HATrrAwAY and l riLTER BIXBY, both citizens of the United States, and residents of Dorchcster,

in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Loom-Reed Cleaning and Polishing Machines, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drai ings, is a specification, like characters on the drawings represen ing like parts.

This invention relates to mechanism for cleaning and polishing, and particularly to mechanism for cleaning and polishing loom reeds, or other like articles.

In order that the principle of the invention may be readily understood, we have disclosed a single embodiment thereof in the accompanying drawings, wherein Fig. 1 is a plan view with parts in transverse section of a reed cleaning and polishing mechanism embodying our invention;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation, with parts broken away, of a portion of the mechanism, and particularly of the reed driving and stopping mechanism;

F ig. 3 is a view similar to the right hand end of Fig. 2, but viewing the parts from the back of the machine;

is a view n ainly upon the section i of Fig. 1, and looking toward the left in said figure, parts being omitted or broken away, so as to make more clear the construction of the illustrated parts;

Fig. 5 is a vertical longitudinal section taken mainly through the magazine side of the mechanism Fig. 6 is a detail showing parts immediately associated with the stopping shaft of the mechanism;

Fig. 7 is a plan view upon an enlarged scale, but with parts broken out, of a portion of the mechanism and including the delivery end thereof;

F ig. 8 is a transverse section taken through the magazine;

Fig. 9 is a vertical section detail through a partof the magazine;

o 10 is a view partly in elevation and partly in verti -al section at the delivery end of the machine;

Fig. 11 is a plan view of supporting and 1920. Serial No. 395,646.

guiding means for the reed in advance of the magazine;

Fig. 12 is a transverse Vertical section upon the line 12-42, Fig. 13;

Fig. 13 is a view from the front of the machine and representing the guiding means shown in Figs. 11 and 12;

Fig. 1 1 is a transverse vertical section taken through the reed guiding means which in this figure are particularly intended for cotton or woolen reeds;

Fig. 15 is a transverse, vertical section showing a silk reed supported in suitable guiding means; and

Fig. 16 is a plan view showing one of a pair of feed rolls and weighting means therefor.

his invention is particularly intended for cleaning and preferably also for polishing loom reeds or like elongated, relatively narrow, plate-like pieces which may be of a grid like structure, as for example metallic heddles. The invention is more particularly intended for cleaning and polishing reeds for cotton, woolen and silk looms.

Loom reeds, and particularly loom reeds for weaving cotton and woolen cloth, are composed of thin metallic bars or dents slightly spaced apart and secured at their ends, preferably by wooden strips at the upper and under faces of the reed, the said strips being secured to the reed dents by a thread or cord wrapped about said strips spirally. between the dents, the said thread or cord being treated with pitch or some other suitable material. Such securing means is covered with thin paper extending the length of the reed. This construction requires protection of the upper and lower ends of the reeds from the action of the cleaning and polishing brushes.

A loom reed quickly collects foreign matter such as lint, which must be removed from time to time, and it is also necessary to remove rust, so-called temple marks, and the sharp edges of the dents caused by the picking of the shuttle to and fro. The purpose of the invention is to provide improved means for quickly and effectively cleaning and polishing used reeds as above set forth, and an important object of the invention is the provision of means of any suitable character whereby at times parts of the mechanism may be speeded up in action. Other features of the invention relate to improved stopping means which in certain aspects thereof peculiarly cooperate with the speeding up mechanism. A still further feature of the invention relates to improved means for shielding the top and bottom por tions of the reed. Other features of the invention will be set forth more particularly hereinafter.

The general organization of the mecha nism is very similar to and in some respects is substantially identical with that disclosed in the U. S. patent to Edgar E. Hatl'iaway, No. 1,328,563, January 20, 1920, upon the structure of which patent the present invention is an in'iprovement.

Referring more particularly to that single embodiment of the invention herein disclosed, we have provided a suitable frame indicated generally at 1 and which may be the same as or similar to that shown in the. said patent.

Preferably we provide afmagazine wherein ifdesired a number of reeds may be supported, though in accordance with the broad scope of our invention, a single reed may be treated as hereinafter described. Certain of the features of the invention, however, more particularly relate to the successive treatment of a plurality of reeds.

Herein we have represented a magazine having two parallel side members 2, 2, pro- 'vided with upstanding guides or confining members 3, 3. The reeds 4, which are elongated and narrow, are supported as shown most clearly in Figs. 5 and 8 upon the members 2 between the guides 3, the construc tion being such that the lowermost reed 4 may be withdrawn by the feeding means between the end guides 3, 3 and beneath the lower ends of said guides where there is an opening indicated at 3 (Fig. 5), permitting the passage of but a single reed at a time. While any suitable feeding means maybe employed, we have herein represented for that purpose a sprocket chain 5 having a series of followers or driving lugs 6 adapted to take against the rear end of the lowermost reed and to feed the same forward in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 5.

Any suitable means may be provided to drive the entire mechanism including said feedingmeans, but an important feature of the invention relates to the driving of said feeding means at a so-called normal speed and at times at a higher speed, as will be more fully set forth hereinafter.

Preferably we employ an electric motor for driving the various parts and not herein shown, but which may be similar to that shown in the said patent. From the shaft of said motor passes a belt indicated at 7 in Fig. 1 to the fast pulley 9 upon the main shaft 10. This shaft is preferably driven at high speed and is mounted in suitable bearings 11, 12, which are desirably adjustable and preferably permit suitable rocking movement of said shaft. From the said shaft the various parts hereinafter described are driven. If desired, a fast and loose pul ley construction may be employed, as shown in said patent.

Upon the shaft 10 is fast a pulley 13,preferably similar to that shown in the said patent, and by means of which and a belt 14 passing about suitable pulleys, some of which are indicated at 15, 16, 17and 18, the cleaning brushes 19, 19 and 20, 20 are suitably driven at a high rate of speed in a manner similar to that set forth in the said patent. iv e also provide polishing brushes 19, 19 (Figs. 1 and 4) driven in any suitable manner and desirably as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 4.

Fast upon the shaft 10 a pulley 21 by which is driven a belt 22 passing about a larger pulley 23 upon a short shaft, the bearing whereof is indicated at 2 1 in Fig. 1. Upon said shaft is fast a gear 25 meshing with a gear 26, and co-axial with the said gear 26 upon a shaft 27 is a crank disk 28 shown most clearly in Figs. 4 and 10. Said crank disk has eccentrically positioned thereon a crank pin 29, to which is pivotally connected a link 30, the. upper end whereof is pivotally connected at 31 to the arm of a bell crank lever pivoted at and having a second arm 34 to the outer end of which is secured by a friction joint 35, a link 36.

In the said Patent No. 1,328,563, means are disclosed whereby the polishing brushes not only are rotated, but are bodily reciprocate-d in a direction transverse to the longer axis of the reeds, that is, in a direction which is the same as the longer axis of the reed dents. Means are also disclosed in said patent for adjusting or varying the length of such reciprocating bodily movements of the polishing brushes. The disclosed means, however, did not result in the reciprocation of the brushes in a rightor straightline, but rather in curved lines, with the result that at or near mid length of the reed dents, the polishing brushes withdrew from the reeds, or at least did not engage the same as satisfactorily as at the ends of the reed dents and near their ends. 111 other words, the polishing brushes bore unevenly upon the reed dents at different points throughout their lengths, bearing more lightly or even being separated therefrom at midlength of the reed dents but pressing more heavily and sat-ifactorily at the ends and adjacent portions of the reed dents.

An important object of the present invention is to provide means whereby the polishing brushes are given a reciprocating or to III and fro movement in essentially right lines. For that purpose and also for the purpose of permitting the desired adjustments, we have provided means of which we will de scribe one embodiment.

The link 36 is pivotally connected at its lower end at 37 to a rod 38 threaded as indicated at 89 and having nuts 4-0 at opposite sides of an unthreaded sleeve 41 pivoted. at 42 to a depending bracket 43 carri by or integral with a nut 4% upon a thrtatded shaft 45 whereon is a second nut The s-' threaded shaft 45 is one of a series 0 or rods desirably four in number cated at 45, d5 in Fig. 1 connecting members 2, of the magazine in a in: preferably similar to that disclosed said patent. ends of said shafts l5 extends a sprocket chain l6 whereby the side members of the magazine and also the means for supporting the reeds while passing through the cleaning and polishing means may be simultaneously and uniformly adjusted to accent modate wider and narrower reeds.

In accordance with the present invention we have provided means whereby the rotative adjusting movement of the shaft 15 represented in Fig. 4, through the adjustment of the nut 44, effects longitudinal adjusting movement of the rod 38 with a consequent change in the position of the pivotal point 37 and consequently a change in the length of reciprocating stroke of the polishing brushes, indicated in dotted lines in Fig. as 19, 19.

Fast upon a fixed pivot 48, shown most clearly in said Fig. 4, is a vertical lever 4L9 having arms 50, 51, which at their outer ends have pivotally connected thereto at 52. 53 threaded sleeves 54, 55 receiving threaded spindles 56, 57 received in the outer ends 58, 59 of projections 60, 61 of lever arms 62, 63. Said spindles 56, 57 carry hand ad justing wheels 64, 65.

Said levers 62, 63 are slotted as indicated at 66, 67 to receive rods 68, 69 having at their inner ends rolls, one of which is indicated at 69 (Fig. l), and which bear against the brush housing to relieve belt strain upon said arms and reduce vibration.

At their ends opposite the polishing brushes 19 19, the lever arms 62, 63 are pivoted at 70, 71 to links 72 73 themselves pivoted upon a fixed pivot 74:. The construction of parts is such that the rotative movement of the crank disk 28 acts through the rod 30 and the bell crank 32, to rock the lever d9 so as to reciprocate the brushes 1.9. 19. The lines of reciprocation of said brushes are right or straight lines at least throughout the length of the reed dents because of the fact that the relatively long lever arms 50, 51 and the shorter links 72, 73 co-act to produce a resultant movement which is essentially in strai 'ht lines. Such straight line nt i -'ed through ut the length to the reception f InQe.i2il1lSill adapted.

We will now *et forth the disclosed form of means for driving the reed feeding means which in this embodiment of the invention is disclosed as the sprocket chain 5 with lugs 6.

We have referred to a bell crank lever as having arms 32, The said lever is provided with third arm indicated as broken away in Fig. but shown in full in Fig. 10. The said arm T5 pivotally connected at 7 to the lower end of a vertical slide or link ?7, shown also in. full lines in Fig. 3 and in dotted lines in Fig. 2. The said slide or link '4"? is provided with two openings 78, 79 to receive he ends 89, 81 of lever arms 82, 83 respectively pivoted at 84, 85.

Provided at the delivery end of the mechanism are two feeding delivery rolls 86, 8.7, which desirably are covered with rubber or other suitable material. The upper roll 86 is loosely ineunted at SS in a suitable part 89 of the framing, and both said rolls 86, 87 frictionally engage and feed or deliver the lowermost reed i, or rather the reed 4 that has been fed from the magazine and is now in advance of the lowermost reed that is actually in the magazine.

The lever 82 at opposite sides of the pivot has pivotally connected thereto at 90, 91 respectively a long pawl 92 to engage a ratchet wheel 93 and a pair of shorter pawls 9st, 95 which are positioned at their ends one half a tooth apart so that one or the other of said pawls 94, 95 will always en gage the teeth of the ratchet 93 according to the feed adjustment. Desirably we provide holding pawls 96, 97 pivoted at 98 upon the framing of the machine to ""-'f--- grade movement of the ratchet 93.

The construction and operation of the parts are such that the reciprocating movement of the link or slide 77 in an upright path is transformed into a continuous rotativemovement in a contraclockwise direction, viewing Fig. 3 of the feeding or delivery rolls 86, 87, whereby the reed 4. is moved at a constant rate between said rolls and from the mechanism.

The delivery roll 87 is not mounted upon the shaft but upon a sleeve 99 shown most clearly in Fig. 7 as surrounding the shaft (Fig. and extending preferably entirely along the same and terminating beyond that side of the delivery roll 87 that is th more remote from the link or slide 77. The said sleeve 99 is mounted in suitable bearing links 100, 101, so that said sleeve is driven inclependently, (that is, by the pawls 92, 94-, 95 and ratchet 93) of the shaft The top delivery roll 86 is set a. little in advance of the bottom roll 87, so that the reed will not be bent down by the top roll in starting through the rolls. Desirably the axis of the top roll may be one quarter of an inch in advance of the axis of the bottom roll. Desirably the top delivery roll 86 is weighted so that it will ress with suflicient force against the reed or other article that is fed through the machine. For that purpose and.

as indicated in Fig. 16, the bearing links 100, 101 are extended and carry a rod 100 upon which is suitably positioned a weight 101, here shown as of cylindrical form.

The sleeve 99 with the shaft 85 is mounted in suitable bearings 102, 103 shown most clearly in Fig. 7, and fast on that end of said shaft 55 that the ren'iote from the link or slide 7 7 is a crank arm 101 indi' cated in dotted lines in F and shown in full lines in Fig. 2. The said crank arm 104 has pivotally connected thereto at 105 a long link 106 extending in a general horizontal direction back to or into the vicinity of a. ratchet 107 fast upon a. shaft 108 also having fast thereon a sprocket wheel 109 about which passes the sprocket feeding;

chain 5 for the reeds. Des rably' thrsaid shaft 108 with the ratchet 107 and sprocket wheel 100 is mounted just below the opening 3 in the .i'nagazine and in such a position that the feeding lugs (i of the sprocket chain 5 engage the underlying reed 4..

In accordance with our invention we im part to the sprocket wheel 109 and consequently to thc sprocket chain 5 a feeding movement which in the disclosed embodi ment is somewhat slower than the feeding or delivery movements of the rolls 86, 87 and which feeding movement continues so long as a single reed remains in the magazine 3.

Desirably we provide means whereby at the proper time the feeding movement of the sprocket chain 5 is speeded up. In the disclosed embodiment of the invention, such speeding up occurs under two conditions, as follows: (1) whenever a ree'd which has been moved out of the magazine passesbeyond a certain indicating device hereinafter referred to, one or more reeds still remaining in the magazine, and (2) whenever the last reed in the entire machine has passed beyond such indicating device and no reed remains in the magazine.

Such speeding up movement is provided, because the mechanism is organized for clearing and polishing maximum lengths of reed or long reeds, and at times shorter reeds are treated, and also because it is desirable to stop the mechanism promptly when the last reed in the entire machine is delivered to or has passed the delivery rolls 8o, 87. Furthermore the speeding up means is peculiarly desirable because we feed the reeds through the mechanism by means of spaced lugs 6 and their cross bars 6 upon the said sprocket feeding. chain 5 and also because preferably -wentilize the feeding. lugs 6 upon the feeding sprocket chain 5 to act upon the stopping mechanism directly.

At its end nearest the ratchet 107 the link 106 has pivotally connected thereto at 110 one arm 111 of a lever pivoted upon the framing at 112, the said lever having. a longer arm 113. Coaxially mounted and fast with the said lever is a lever 114 upon the arm 115 whereof is mounted at 116 a long pawl 117. Upon the arm 118 of said lever are pivoted at 119 two pawls 120, 121. All of said pawls engage the teeth of the ratchet 107 and consequently rotate the same in a forward or driving direction at a constant speed. This speed at any time is slightly less than the speedat which the deliver rolls 86, 87 travel, so that a reed will be, clear of a cross bar (3 at the point 3, to prevent the bar from being caught on the end of the reed and bending it down at the point where the sprocket chain 5 begins to descend about the sprocket wheel 109. Mounted upon the outer end of the lever arm 113 at 122 is a long pawl 123 having a weighted upper end 124 whereby the head 125 of said pawl tends constantly to engage the teeth of the ratchet 107. The proportion of the parts is such that when the head 125 of the pawl 123 is permitted to engage the teeth of the ratchet 107, it drives the same and consequently the feeding sprocket chain 5 at an increased speed and which in the disclosed embodiment of the invention is substantially seven times that of the slower or normal speed at which the ratchet 107 and the feed sprocket chain 5 are driven when there is a reed in the magazine.

The feeding lugs 6 with their cross bars 6 on the chain 5 are, of course, spaced more or less widely apart and (1) after any one reed has passed beyond the indicating device hereinafter referred to, and also (2) when the last reed in the entire machine has passed therebeyond, it is desirable that the movement of the feed chain 5 with its lugs 6 and cross bars 6 be speeded up so that the next lug 6 with its cross bar will be brought either 1) into feeding or pushing relation with the underlying reed in the magazine, or ('2) in the event that the last reed has been fed from the magazine, but is still being subjected to the action of the cleaning or polishing means, then such lug with cross bar will be brought into quick engagement with the said indicating device, so as quickly to stop the machine, and desirably just as the said only remaining reed is issuing from between the delivery rolls 86, 87.

The indicating device may be of any suitable character, whether mechanical, electri cal or otherwise, and that herein disclosed and indicated at 126 is typical merely of various constructions that may be employed.

Referring now to Fig. 5, it will. be observed that the indicating device 126 constitutes a part of a lever pivoted at 127 upon the framing of the machine, the said lever having a headed lower end 123 terminating in a tooth 129 with which at the proper time is adapted to engage the end 30 of a horizontal lever arm 131 pivoted at 132 upon a curved lever 133 which is itself pivoted at 134 upon the framing of the machine. At the opposite side of the pivotal. point 132, there is provided. a weighted head 135 tending constantly to rock the lever arm 131 upwardly into engagement with the tooth 129 of the indicating device 126.

The said indicating device 126 has three positions, one of which is indicated in full lines in Fig. 5, and the other two of which are indicated at 126, 126 in said figure. The normal position of said indicating de vice 126 is that shown in full lines, and said indicating device continues in that position so long as there is a reed directly thereover whether or not a reed remains in the magazine.

lVe will now first refer with more particularity to that condition of operation arising when the last reed in the machine has passed or is passing beyond said indicating device 126, no reed remaining in the magazine, and will thereafter refer to that condition of operation arising when any one reed passes beyond the indicating device and one or more reeds still remain in the magazine.

As long as the reed which is being treated by the brushes is directly over the said indicating device 126, the latter retains its full line position, but when said reed passes to the right beyond said indicating device 126, then the latter arises into the dotted line position 126. If, now, there be one or more reeds still remaining in the magazine, the indicating device 126 cannot rise above this position 126, and the end 130 of the lever arm 131 cannot engage the tooth 129 at the lower end of said indicating device 126. If, however, the reed 4 which has passed to the right beyond the upper free end of the indicating device 126 be the last reed in the entire mechanism, then the said indicating device 126 rises into the dotted line position 126". Assuming, then, that the last reed in the mechanism has wholly passed to the right viewing Fig. 5 beyond the indicating device 126, then the latter rises into the position 126 and the tooth 129 of said indicat ing device assumes the position shown at the extreme right in Fig. 5 designated 129 This permits the lever arm 131 to rise into its upper dotted line position. A cross bar 6 upon a lug 6 is brought by the speed up drive into engagement with the indicating device 126 in such position 126 and depresses the same into its full line position 126. In doing so, it causes the tooth 129 to move from the dotted line position 129 to the left viewing Fig. 5 so as to engage the end 130 of the lever arm 131 and consequently to roci: the curved lever 133 upon its pivot 13%. The said curved lever 133 is provided with a lug 136 adapted to enter a notch 137 in a disk 138 which is fast upon shaft 139, this being the shaft that con- 'ols the position of the switching devices of the electric motor. The said shaft 139 has fast thereon an arm 140, the head 1 11 whereof is engaged by the head 1 12 of a lever 143 pivoted at 144 in the starting box 1 15 (Fig. 8) of the electric motor. A coil spring 1 16 connected to said lever 1 13 and to the framing at 1 17 tends to move the lever 143 into the dotted line position indicated in Fig. 5 and thereupon to stop the mechanism. Such movement of the lever 1 13 into the dotted line position is prevented so long as the projection 136 of the lever 133 engages the notch 137 in the disk 138. As soon, however, as the said projection 136 is disengaged from the notch 137, then the said parts assume the dotted line position shown in said Fig. 5 and the machine is stopped.

As indicated in Fig. 6, the shaft 139 may also have mounted thereon a lever 148 with adjustable stop screws 149, 150 to limit by engagement with the frame at 151, 152 the movements of the disk 138.

e have referred to the three positions of the indicating device 126 and have stated that when said indicating device assumes the position 126 that the mechanism is stopped through the engagement of a lug 6 or a cross bar 6 thereon with said indicating device in such position. ()wing to the fact that the lugs 6 are more or less spaced apart, it is evident that some time may elapse between the instant when the indicating device as sumes the position 126 and the instantwhen the next lug 6 with its cross bar 6 is brought at the normal rate of travel of the feed chain 5, into engagementwith the said indicating device 1.26. Thus it might occur that the last remaining reed in the machine might be delivered out of the machine, having passed beyond the cleaning and polishing brushes, before the machine is stopped. The speedup mechanism to which we have referred, however, causes the feed chain 5 to travel at a much higher rate of speed the instant the indicating device 126 rises into the position 126 and thus very quickly to bring said lug 6 with its cross bar 6' into engagement with the indicating device 126.

In the disclosed embodiment of the invention, this is effected by mountlng upon the pivotal point of support of said indicat- D ti ' full line position 126, the said lever 128 with its pawl head 125 is out of engagement with the teeth of the ratchet 107. When, however, the indicating device 126 rises into either the dotted line positions 126 or 126, then the dog 153 is swung into a dotted line position as indicated in Fig. 2 with the result that the said pawl head 125 engages the teeth of the ratchet- 107 and the ratchet: is driven at a high rate of speed, so very quickly to bring a lug 6 with its cross bar 6' into engagement with the indicating device 126 at its position 126 or 126 and in the event that the said indicating device is in the position 126 when in the manner already described, the mechanism is stopped. Having thus dcscribedat length that condition of operation occurring when the last remaining reed in the entire machine has passed beyond the indicating device 126, and it is desirable to stop the mechanism quickly. we will now describe briefly the other and in certain respects more important 'yond the indicating device 126, such reed being a short one, there may be a re atively long time interval before the nextfeeding lug 6 with its cross bar 6' comes into feeding relation with the now underlying reed in the magazine.

We therefore have so organized the mechanism that the speeding-up means is also brou ht into action when the indicating device .126 rises into the dotted line position 126. The dog 153 is so mounted upon the pivotal point of the indicating device 126 that the swinging of said indicating device into the dotted line position 126 moves the dog 153far enough to the right. viewing l ig. 2, to permit the pawl head 125 to engage the teeth of the ratchet 107, and thereby turn the ratchet 107 at the higher rate of speed with the result that the next teedini! lug 6 with its cross bar 6' is brought very quickly into feeding relation with the then underlying reed in the magazine.

In the said patent to Hathaway, No. 1,328,563, there are provided means whereby the top and bottom. portions of the reed (speaking with reference to the operative position of the reed in the loom) are shielded or protected from the action of the cleaning and polishing means. As set forth in said patent, the said shielding or protecting members are positioned with capacity to yield upwardly or so as to permit reeds having thicker top and bottom portions to be properly received and shielded.

In the disclosed embodiment oil the inven tion, we have provided means whereby the shielding n'icinbers are caused by the action of the lJlUSllGS themselves, and particularly of the polishing brushes, to accon'imodate themselves to the said top and bottom portions of the reed whatever the size of said top and bottom port-ions.

Referring more particuarly to Figs. 11, 12 and 13, we have indicated the shielding members at 156, 157 as having elongated slots 158, 158, 159, 15 respectively trans versely positioned with respect to the teed ot the reed, and therefore permitting lateral movement of said shielding members with respect to the reed. Received in said slots 158, 159 are screws between the heads of which and the shielding" means are coil springs 161, the function whereof is similar to that of the corresponding springs in the said patent to Hathaway, that is, to permit the reception of different sizes at reed top and bottom portions. The provision of the transversely arranged slots 158, 159, however, permits the transverse positioning oi the shielding members by the action of the brushes themselves. Viewing Fig. 12, it will. be assumed that the 'iolishing brushes positioned respectively above and below the reed, which is here shown as a reed :tor a cotton or woolen loom. are rotated in a clockw se direction. It will be observed that the shioldi 11g member 157 at the upper side of the reed and at. the downwardly moving side of the polishing brush relatiwly straight, though inclined or with a very slightly bent forward edge. This is because there is less liability that the brush at the down turning side thereof will engage the wooden strip, etc. At the upturning oropposite side of the brush. however, the shielding member 156 is provided with an edge curved in cross section substantially as indicated, so that the upturning bristles ot the brush engage the same and force said mcu'iber outwardly or toward the left viewing Fig. 12. At the under side of the reed the conditions are reversed and hence we have provided at the left hand side, viewing said Figure, a plate 102 which is but slightly bent at its inner edges, and at the right hand side of said figure have provided a plate 163 which is more rounded .at said edge. The said lower plates M52, i623, however, are not in this embodiment of the invention shown as mounted for yielding movement.

In Fig. l t, we have represented a cotton or woolen reed as passing beneath the shield ing members.

lVhile we have specifically described the speeding up means vith respect to the feeding of reeds relative to cleaning and polishing devices, and also relative to stopping means, we desire to claim the same broadly since so far as we are aware, we are the first to provide speeding up means in connection with articles to be fed through a mechanism and treated thereby, or causing or permit ting the functioning of some mechanism of the machine.

Throughout the specification and in certain of the claims, we have referred to the treating of reeds. We desire it clearly to be understood that the term reed is not here used in a limiting sense and that the mechanism may be employed to clean other articles, such, for example, as metallic heddles. Therefore, the term reed cleaning mechanism and other like terms in the spec ification are employed merely in a descriptive sense and not for purposes of limitation.

Having thus described one illustrative embodiment of our invention, we desire it to be understood that although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being set forth in the following claims.

Claims:

1. An organized machine having means to treat separate articles fed therethrough, feeding means to move said articles past the treating means, an indicating device having positions determined by the position irrthe machine of the said articles, and connections between the feeding means and the indicating devices whereby said feeding means is driven at a plurality of speeds, depending upon the position of said indicating device.

2. Loom reed cleaning mechanism comprising cleaning members, feeding means to feed the reeds past said cleaning member, an indicating device adapted to assume difl erent positions which are determined by the presence or absence of a reed, means to drive the feeding means at a plurality of different speeds, and operative connections between said indicating device and said means for driving the feeding means, where by the feeding means will be driven at a plurality of speeds dependent upon the po sition of the indicating device.

3. Loom reed cleaning mechanism comprising in combination, cleaning members, feeding means to move the reeds past said cleaning members, an indicating device adapted to assume a plurality oi positions, speeding up means for the feeding i'neans, and operative connections between the in dicating device and the speeding up means.

4. An organized machine havii means to treat separate articles fed thereihroin feeding means to move said articles p the treating means; indicating means controlled or governed by the position in the machine of one or more of said articles; and operative connections between the feeding means and said. indicating devices whereby said feeding means is driven at a plural of speeds, depending upon said indicating;- means.

Loom reed cleaning mechanism cons prising in combination, cleaning l'nembers, feeding means to move the reeds past said cleaning members, stopping means, speeding up means for the feeding means, an indicating device, and connections between the indicating cevices and the speeding up means to cause operation of the speeding up means or of the stopping means from the indicating device.

6. Loom reed cleaning mechanism comprising in combination, cleaning men'ibers, feeding means to feed the reeds past said cleaning members, speeding up means for the feeding means, stopping means, an indicating device adapted to assume different positions according to the positions of the reeds, and connections from said indicating device to said speeding up means and said stopping means.

7. Loom reed cleaning mechanism comprising in combination, cleaning members, feeding means to feed the reeds past said cleaning members, speeding up means for the feeding means, stopping means, an indicating device adapted to assume any one of three positions according to the position of the reeds, and connections between said speeding up means and the indicating device whereby when the imlicating device is in either of two positions, the speeding up means will be actuated and whereby when the indicating device is in one position the stopping means will be actuated.

S. Loom reed cleaning mechanism comprising in combination, cleaning members, means to feed the reeds past said cleaning members, speeding up means for the feeding means, stopping means, indicating means adapted to assume different positions, and means whereby a change of position of the indicating device to a predetermined one of said positions causes the actuation of the speeding up means and the ensuing action of the stopping means.

9. An organized machine having means to treat separate articles fed therethrough, feeding means for said articles and including a ratchet. a pawl, and means to operate the same to drive the ratchet at one speed, a

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second pawl, and means to operate the same to drive the ratchet at an increased speed.

10. Loom reed cleaning mechanism comprising in con'ibiinition, cleaning members, means including an endless feeding member for the reeds, a ratchet for said endless feeding member, two pawls adapted to drive said ratchet: but at different speeds, actuating means for said pawls and means whereby the position of the reed in the machine determines which pawl shall drive the ratchet.

11. Loomv reed cleaning mechanism comprising in combination. cleaning members, a sprocket chain to more the reeds pastsaid cleaning meml'iers, a ratchet to drive said sprocket chain, a plurality of pawls to engage said ratchet and drive the same at different speeds, an indicating device adapted to change its position according to the pres ence or absence of a reed, and operative conncctions between said indicating device and that ratchet pawl which is adapted to drive the ratchet at the higher speed.

12. Loom reed cleaning mechanism comprising in combination, cleaning members, a travelling feeding device for the reeds, a ratchet to drive said feeding device, long and short pawls for the ratchet, actuating means for said. pawls, an indicating device, the position whereof is determined by the presence or absence of a reed, and operative connections between the longer pawl and said indicating device.

13. Loom reed cleaning mechanism comprising in combination, a support for a reed, brushes adapted to act upon opposite faces of the reed while so iositioned, means positively to rotate said rushes, means to traverse said brushes in a right line across said reed.

14. Loom reed cleaning mechanism comprising in combination, a support for a reed, a cleaning men'iber for the reed, means to adjust said support to reeds of different height, means to traverse said cleaning member in a. right line, and connections whereby adjustment of the support changes the length of movement of the traversing means.

15. Loom reed cleaning mechanism comprising in combination, a reed support, cleaning means for the reed, and means to shield an edge or edges of the reed cleaning, said shielding means being yieldable transversely of the reed.

16. Loom reed cleaning mechanism coniprising in combination, a reed support, cleaning means for the reed. and means to shield an edge or edges of the reed during cleaning, said shielding means being mounted so as to yield under the action of the cleaning means.

17. Loom reed cleaning mechanism comprising in combination, a reed support, shielding means for an edge or edges of the reed While so supported, and means including transverse slots in the shielding means, and screws entering said slots whereby movement of said shielding means transversely of the reeds is permitted.

18. Loom reed cleaning mechanism comprising in combination, a support for a reed, a rotary brush for acting upon the reed while so supported, and shielding means for the edges of the reed, both of said shielding means being yieldingly mounted and at least one of said shielding means being shaped at its inner edge to permit the rotary brush to determine the position of the shielding means.

19. Loom reed cleaning mechanism including cleaning means, and means to feed the reed through the machine, said feeding means including upper and lower feed rolls, the axis of the upper feed roll being posi tioned slightly in advance of the axis of the lower feed roll to prevent bending of the reed as fed between said rolls.

20. An organized machine having means to act upon a series of separate articles fed through the machine, means to feed said separate articles in a stream through the machine past and in functioning relation to said acting means, a magazine for said articles, a movable indicating device adapted to move into a predetermined position when the last article of the stream has left the magazine and has passed said indicating device, and operative connections whereby such movement of the indicating device speeds up the travelling movement of said feeding means.

21. An organized machine having means to act upon a series of separate articles fed through the machine, means to feed said separate articles in a stream through the machine past and in functioning relation to said acting means, a magazine for said articles, a movable indicating device adapted to move into a predetermined position when the last article of the stream has left the magazine and has passed said indicating device, operative connections whereby such movement of the indicating device speeds up the traveling movement of said feeding means, stopping means for the machine, and connections from said indicating device to said stopping means.

22. An organized machine having means to act upon each of a series of separate articles fed through the machine, means to feed separate articles in a stream through the machine past and in functioning rela' tion to said acting means, and automatically acting means dependent upon the substantial continuity of said stream automatically to increase the speed of said feeding means in the event of substantial break in the said continuity of the flow of said stream.

23. A loom reed cleaning machine having means to feed loom reeds separately therethrough, and driven cleaning means to act upon the said loom reeds, stopping means for the machine adapted to be controlled by a loom reed passing therethrough for actuation by said feeding means, and means to increase the rate of movement of the loom reed feeding means relative to the action of the driven cleaning means, so as to diminish the time interval preceding actuation of the stopping means subsequent to the feeding of a given loom reed.

24;. An organized machine having means to act upon each of a series of separate articles fed through the machine and having a magazine for said articles, means in said machine to act upon each of said articles, feeding means to feed said articles in a stream from said magazine past and in functioning relation to said acting means, and means dependent upon the condition of flow of said stream to change the speed of said feeding means in the event of substantial'change in the said condition of How of said stream.

25. A loom reed treating means having means to act upon each of a series of 100m reeds fed through the machine in a stream, means to feed said loom reeds in a stream through the machine past and in functioning relation to said acting means, and means dependent upon the condition of flow of said stream of loom reeds to change the speed of the feeding means therefor in the event of substantial change 111 the said condition of flow of said stream.

26. An organized machine for cleaning opposite faces of loom reeds having means to act upon opposite faces of each of a series of loom reeds fed through the machine, means to feed said loom reeds in a stream as separate articles through the machine past and in functioning relation to said cleaning means, so that both faces of each reed will be simultaneously cleaned, and means dependent upon the substantial continuity of the flow of said stream of loom reeds to increase the speed of said feeding means in the event of substantial break in the said continuity of the flow of said stream of loom reeds.

27. An organized machine having means to act upon each of a series of separate articles which in practice vary materially in length, means to feed said separate articles in a stream through the machine past and in functioning relation to said acting means, and means dependent upon the length of the articles fed to increase the speed of said feeding means in the event of the appearance in said stream of a materially shorter article.

28. An organized machine having means to act upon each of a series of separate articles fed through the machine, a feed chain with spaced feeding elements thereon, ratchet means to feed said feed chain whereby said articles are moved in a substantially continuous stream through the machine past and in functioning relation to said acting means, and means dependent upon the substantial continuity of said stream of articles to increase by said ratchet means the speed of said feed chain in the event of substantial breaking in the said continuity of the How of said stream of articles.

29. An organized machine having means to act upon each of a series of separate articles fed through the machine, said machine having a magazine to contain said articles and from which magazine the lowermost article may be withdrawn, travelling means having spaced elements to engage one after another the lowermost article in said magazine and to move the same through the machine in a stream past and in functioning relation to said acting means, and means to speed up the movement of the travelling feeding means at intervals so as to cause the quicker engagement of a feeding element of the feeding means with the last article of the stream.

30. An organized machine having means to act upon each of a series of separate articles fed through the machine, a magazine for the said articles, delivery means to deliver the articles from the machine, travelling feeding means to convey the articles in a stream through the magazine to said delivery means, and means to speed up the movement of the travelling feeding means when the last of the stream of articles is engaged by the delivery means.

In testimony whereof, we have signed our names to this specification.

EDGAR F. HATHAWAY. WALTER BIXBY. 

